Page 24 of Wired Target

Sophie dove away from the ladder to land headfirst into a stand ofhaole koa—and Sari cried out in pain.“Something hit me!”

The mini-aircraft shot forward suddenly to hover over the ladder—and Lei stood up from behind the rock just as Torufu stepped out from the stand ofhaole koahe’d sheltered behind.Both opened fire on the airborne threat at the same time.

The drone sparked, circling wildly, and then veered to crash into the bushes.

Lei glanced over at Torufu.“Nice shooting.”

“Was just going to say the same, but the damn thing was hard to miss.”

Lei holstered her weapon and hurried over to where Mahmoud Gadish cradled his injured wife.Sophie knelt beside her, examining a dart that protruded from Sari’s bare, tanned upper arm.

“Wake up, darling.I’m here.”The woman appeared to have fainted—her husband was lightly slapping her cheeks.

Sophie turned to Lei; her face had gone pale with stress and her eyes were wide and haunted.“I think she’s been poisoned.Call for backup and an ambulance!”

Torufu approached.“Got it,” he said, fumbling with his phone.

Lei frowned and grabbed Sophie by her biceps.“What haven’t you been telling me, Sophie?”

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Lei’s eyes had gone dark and hard with anger; her voice was pure cop as she rapped out, “What haven’t you been telling me, Sophie?”

There was so much she hadn’t told Lei, and now it might have killed this poor woman, just a bystander.

But Sari Gadish’s life might still be saved.

Sophie turned back to the fallen Albatross Sanctuary board member.She grabbed the dart protruding from the woman’s shoulder carefully and pulled it out.She examined it: a classic tranquilizer needle with tiny plastic guidance fins and a fluid-filled bulb, now empty, that had injected upon impact.

Dr.Powers squatted beside Gadish and reached in with a rolled bandanna in her hands.“Let’s tie off her arm and keep some of whatever was in that dart from circulating.”

The biologist wrapped the kerchief around Sari’s upper bicep and tightened it so brutally that the unconscious woman twitched.“Hopefully that slows it down.”

Sophie was relatively sure the dart was much more deadly than a tranquilizer; why would that expensive drone be doing anything but trying to kill someone?Sophie was the likely target, not Sari Gadish.

“We must hydrate her, help her body purge the poison.Mr.Gadish, hold her upright.Let’s get as much fluid into her as we can.”Sophie unscrewed the cap of the water bottle Lei had given her.“Pinch her jaw to open her mouth.”

Mahmoud Gadish, still crooning endearments, propped up his wife in his arms and squeezed the sides of her jaw with one hand; her slack mouth fell open.Sophie poured water in carefully, stroking the woman’s throat to elicit a swallow response.

Sari gulped—once, twice.Some of the water spilled out of her mouth, but more was going in than she was losing.

“Ambulance is on the way.Let’s move her to the parking lot for pickup,” Torufu said.“I can carry her, Mahmoud, if you’ll let me.”

The short, stout man nodded—though Sari was petite, clearly that task was too much for him physically.Torufu reached down and scooped Sari into his arms with ease.

“Dr.Powers, keep pouring water into her as they go,” Sophie directed, handing the bottle to the biologist.The older woman nodded and the little cavalcade, led by Torufu carrying Sari, headed for the gate.Sophie was left with Lei.

She turned to face her friend.“Let’s go get that drone.I’ll tell you what I know on the way.”

“You’ll tell me now.”

Sophie had never seen Lei so angry; heat seemed to shoot from her narrowed eyes and her hands had balled into fists.

“My mother is trying to kill me.”

Lei’s mouth dropped ajar, and her eyes widened.“What the hell?”

“She wants my children,” Sophie said.“And revenge on me for giving her over to the CIA a few years ago.But—I never would have come here and endangered you or these people if I’d thought she’d make a move on me here.”

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